The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into 2026 with something the organization hasn't experienced in more than a decade: no Mike Evans. The future Hall of Famer left for San Francisco this offseason in pursuit of another ring elsewhere, leaving the Bucs to fill the void left by a perennial 1,000-yard receiver. That role was expected to fall primarily to two ascending young wideouts, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan.
But both have been sidelined since early August — Egbuka with a toe injury, McMillan with a knee injury. They've each returned to practice, though only in a limited capacity, leaving their Week 1 availability in question. Speaking with reporters after Wednesday's practice, head coach Todd Bowles offered an encouraging, if vague, update on both players.
"They're headed in the right direction," Bowles said. I'll have a better gauge next week. They're moving forward every day, so we'll see next week." More news: Vikings GM Drops Cryptic JJ McCarthy Update Ahead of Week 1 More news: Klint Kubiak Breaks Silence on Ashton Jeanty’s Status for Week 1 The Buccaneers open the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Bengals in Cincinnati — a tough opponent to face even at full strength, let alone without two of their top receivers.
Egbuka, in particular, was expected to emerge as Baker Mayfield's No. 1 target after a strong rookie campaign. Across 17 games, he hauled in 63 catches for 938 yards and six touchdowns, numbers that ranked among the best of any rookie receiver. If one or both miss Week 1, that would set up a significant workload for veteran Chris Godwin Jr., along with younger depth options like Tez Johnson, Kameron Johnson, and third-round rookie Ted Hurst III.
Bowles' comments sound cautiously positive, so there's hope Egbuka and McMillan will suit up against the Bengals. But with just over a week until kickoff, there isn't much time left to ramp up their activity. More news: Raiders Make Final Call on Starting QB Battle Ahead of Week 1
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